Amy Martin

Amy Jo Martin, Church Administrator

What do you do at Gayton?

As Church Administrator, I help keep Gayton’s day-to-day operations running smoothly through church communications, office and staff support, facilities and events, budgeting, policies and procedures, and finding ways to simplify processes and reduce costs.

When did you first come to Gayton and/or when did you join the staff?

I joined Gayton in September 2025.

Where were you before coming to Gayton? 

I grew up a military brat before settling in New Kent, earned my BA in Fine Arts (Theatre: Directing and Dramatic Literature) from Christopher Newport University, and followed a winding career path through professional theatre, nearly a decade in journalism, and ministry roles at Antioch Baptist Church and Providence United Methodist Church before coming to Gayton.

Tell us a little about your family and/or pets.

My parents, Lance and Judy Martin, live in New Kent, and my dad is full-blooded Native American, with Cherokee, Yurok, and Zuni heritage; I also have two older sisters, Melanie and April, and am a proud aunt. I’m a cat mom through and through—Sir Pawl McCatney lives with me and my two roommates in Glen Allen, while Ittles, Ruby, Beans, and Mittens live with my parents.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at Gayton?

I’m currently attending Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary online, where I’m studying to become a chaplain, so chances are I’m reading or working on an assignment. When I do have some free time, I enjoy singing, discovering coffee and tea shops, true-crime games, escape rooms, museums, games of just about any kind, and streaming my favorite shows.

What is one of your favorite things? 

Animals of all shapes, sizes, and types! If it has fur, feathers, scales, or fins, there’s a pretty good chance I want to be its friend.

What is your favorite Scripture verse or passage?

Ephesians 2:14 has become one of the ways I try to live my life, reminding me that with God’s love, the barriers we build between ourselves and others can come down. As someone with Native American heritage, I am especially aware of the ways differences can be used to divide or exclude, and my hope is to love others, make room for our differences, and recognize each person as someone created in the image of God—a belief at the heart of my call to pastoral care and chaplaincy.